Fated King
by DarienSummers
Summary: There is always someone more powerful out there, a lesson Lois learns the hard way just as Clark and she begin to realize the depths of their relationship. CLois, Post Clana a few years into the future of Smallville.
1. Death

**Title**: Fated King

**Author**: DarienSummers

**Notes**: Okay so I am a bit new at this, this is my first piece of fanfiction ever. Please read and review.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Smallville or any of its wonderful actors or actresses.

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_The Present_

Carefully Lois cradled the broken man in her arms. It was such a strange thing to her, seeing someone she knew was so powerful, someone she knew could lift mountains with the merest flexing of muscles, rendered so helpless.

The tears had begun to fall long before she even became aware of them, for all her attention was focused solely on the person she so desperately wished would respond to her pleas. With each passing moment her pleas became more frantic, demanding at first, and then slowly fading into the harshest and most desolate of begging.

It was only when a pale hand lifted to caress her cheek that her cries were silenced. Dull and battered eyes looked upwards at her from a face that was bruised and bloodied, a face she loved regardless of the damage done to it.

_"Lo….Lois?"_ a weak and raspy voice ushered forth from the man in her lap.

_"I'm here, I'm here!"_ she spoke in a voice filled with sorrow, _"Everything's going to be okay, we're going to get you help, you just hang on….please just don't let go…"_

Others began to move closer as they pulled themselves towards the tragic scene, some wounded, such as the man before them was, but none as nearly wounded as he. Those who could went for help as quickly as they could, while those left behind could only watch the sorrow filled scene before them.

_"Did I get him? Is he down?"_ the male voice managed to choke out between painfilled breathes. Signs of worry etched across his face, though it was not worry for himself, but for those around him.

Through her tears Lois gazed a few feet away from the spot they occupied, her vision slowly focusing on a monstrous figure, a monstrosity that lay face down, unmoving in the mud. No signs of life radiated from the creature.

_"He's dead, you did it…"_ Lois was barely able to keep her voice steady enough to speak the sobs still continuing to assault her. _"You saved us."_

_"Sssshhh"_ the male voice whispered upwards at Lois, a small smile pulling at his lips as relief replaced his previous worry _"Don't cry Lois, don't cry its alright now. Your going to be safe…"_

It was then that his hand slowly began to slide down her face before dropping to fall into the mud next to them, his eyes clouding in time with the movement. The last vestages of warmth left his body then and he was silent.

The world slipped out from under Lois then, and for a moment she wondered who was screaming, before realizing the voice she heard, was her own.

Those around them cried as well, for today the world had lost one of its brightest stars, snuffed out while doing the only thing it knew how to do, shining brilliantly against the black night. Combating the darkness that resided in the souls of all men and fighting to give the world hope.

A Superman died today.

Clark Kent was no more.


	2. Home

**Title**: Fated King

**Author**: DarienSummers

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any part of Smallville, though one day I will!

**A/N**: I have made the choice to go with an Alternate Universe for everything after Clark confronts the followers of Zod in the season five episode "Arrival". There are slight changes that have dramatic consequences but revealing them here would spoil the story. Enjoy.

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Chapter 1 **

_**November 12, 2005 The Past**_

Early one Friday night, in a small and quiet room, Clark Kent lay on a bed resting. His visage was one of serene peace, though just below the surface many emotions raced through his mind.

He had been, for the better part of the last hour, trying to work on an assignment for his Philosophy class. It was quite simply getting no where. Other thoughts had plagued him, causing such distraction that he gave up and resigned himself to completing the task later. He knew that if the need arose, he could easily request a short extension on the assignment from Professor Fine, and in his mind he had no doubt that the professor would grant the request.

However even those thoughts had eventually led him back to certain unpleasant memories, memories he had tried countless times to push out of his head. It was a task that he found harder than it originally seemed. After all, those events were what had caused him to make certain decisions that changed the course of his life, as well as the lives of those around him; Decisions that included attending Metropolis University.

That was of course one of the minor things, when compared to his other choices. But it was not that alone that clawed at his consciousness. Soon he would have to get up and leave his humble dorm room, if he wanted to make it back to Smallville in time for his monthly ritual; a ritual filled with both joy and sorrow.

He, Chloe, and Lois would be driving back to Smallville to visit and family for the weekend, though really that just meant they were going to see the Kents. It was strange but in the time after the "Incident", even now none of them exactly felt comfortable talking about it, Martha and Jonathon Kent had become anchors for the three friends. They had for the most part become family to all, and so every month, for at least one weekend, the three made the journey back home to visit. At first it had been what seemed like an obligation, but it quickly grew beyond that and became something much more. It had become a bonding ritual filled with many happy moments, though there would always be that sorrow underneath it all.

Clark thought back to those fateful days when everything had seemed to finally settle into place, only to explode into pieces with one catastrophe after another. All of which lead to everything changing. It had been hard coping with the enormity of it all and at first he hadn't. He had done everything he could to isolate himself from the rest of the world, going so far as to leave shortly after matters had finally calmed; another one of those decisions he had made.

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_**Smallville, Kent Farm Summer 2005**_

When his parents had learned of what he planned to do, they had reacted in a variety of different manners, trying to console him at first, softly explaining that what had occurred was not his fault and that they knew he was hurting but that he didn't have to go. When he had remained adamant about his journey, they had been slightly angered, his father going so far as to yell slightly, but still it had not deterred him. In his mind there was no choice in the matter. Finally they had resigned themselves to the fact that Clark would be leaving and they had no idea when he would be coming back. Seeing the sadness in their eyes had been more than he could bear. He had said his goodbyes and promised to return as soon as he could before speeding off northwards into the long and dark night.

Jor-El had been pleased with his return and so Clark's learning had begun once again. The full knowledge of Krypton at his disposal within the crystals, he had at first been hesitant to embark down that path for fear it would turn him back into Kal-El, but over the long days of summer he had begun to become more and more curious, and soon each drop of knowledge was obtained readily.

It was around the close of the summer months when Jor-El had finally informed him that he was to return to the Kents, and that he would summon him for further training in time. Clark had been ecstatic at the thought of being able to see his family again, jumping at the chance to be able to return home, and so he had.

It had been awkward at first, showing up out of no where, but his parents had been so pleased to see him. Martha actually wept and Jonathon had been close to tears himself. Months of guilt had hit Clark then, and he let it out in the arms of his parents, sobbing with them a mixture of happiness and heartache.

It was then that he had seen the others behind his parents. Lois and Chloe looked on in shock at the scene before them. In moments however they had been swept up into the group hug as well.

Eventually things had settled down and at the Kents warm kitchen table they spoke in length about what had be going on since the meteor shower. Many things had changed in the short time he had been away for one, he was entirely surprised to find that both Chloe and Lois had been living with his parents for the summer.

Chloe had explained that with her home destroyed, and her father off in Gotham, Martha and Jonathon had taken her in as one of their own, giving her a place to stay and a purpose in helping to rebuild.

Lois on the other hand had seemed content to remain quiet until Clark had prompted her to speak. For a second he had thought she would snap at him with one of her witty barbs but surprisingly instead she had revealed to him, that after the attack at the hospital, she had stayed to help his parents get back on their feet. When Clark mentioned her trip to Switzerland to find Lucy, she had dismissed it with a wave of her hand, explaining that shockingly Lucy had appeared in Smallville shortly after the meteor shower, with the intention of all things making sure Lois was alive and well. Of course that had ended up with The General being informed of Lucy's whereabouts and quickly coming to pick her up. After a small and quick conversation with Sam Lane, Clark's parents had somehow managed to convince the general to allow Lois to remain in their care until it was time for her to return to Metropolis for school. She had been astounded and grateful for the shelter the Kents so selflessly provided.

It was not until she had finished that her eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she turned to Clark, and in a matter of seconds had turned the tables on him by asking him where he had run off to for so long, and also why he had not felt the need to write, call, or even contact his parents when it was clear they were going to be worried about him. The last time that she knew anyone had seen him was just after the funeral, and that in her opinion was far too long ago to not ask questions about.

Immediately though she regretted the harsh way in which she had asked the questions, wincing ever so slightly after receiving a kick under the table from Chloe. When everyone began to speak with their eyes though, she could only look on in confusion. Much to her surprise Chloe had seemed to join in on the nonverbal conversations that were so famous in the Kent household. Something was being kept from her and Lois did not like that fact one bit, she was about to try and dig further when Jonathon had finally broken the silence with "I'm sorry Lois, it's a family matter." Nothing else was said about it as the topic then moved onwards to something else.

For a moment Lois had felt a small twinge of jealousy and hurt, was she not close enough as family now too after having stayed with them for so long? But instantly "Mad Dog" Lane slipped into place and the thoughts were easily swept away for later.

Clark had found that the farmhouse had actually gotten a bit larger, after the conversation with everyone Chloe had taken him by the hand to show him all the changes that had been made in his absence. She quickly informed him of the add-on that had been built while repairs were being completed on the house. Clark nodded as he was given a tour of the new three rooms. Each seemed to serve a different purpose, for instance one was clearly where Lois was staying, he could tell by the mess on the floor as well as the fuzzy bunny slippers thrown half-hazard on the bed. The other was more orderly with the exception of one wall, a wall that was covered in news articles of numerous different things. He concluded it had to be Chloe's room with her new "Wall of Weird"; this incited a chuckle from Chloe.

The last room brought a smile to his face, a smile that seemed to go on forever. Even though it was devoid of any kind of life, Clark knew this was meant to be his room. It was above the other two and instead of a window, the barn's loft window doors had been used to create a small balcony exit. His telescope sat peering out of the portal before himself.

Chloe choose that moment to excuse her-self, leaving Clark to settle in. Looking outwards at the setting sun, Clark couldn't help but think that the day was getting brighter with each passing moment.

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Read and Review! 


	3. Return

**Title**: Fated King

**Author**: DarienSummers

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Smallville or any of its actors. I wouldn't mind owning Erica Durance, but that's for later mauauaha.

**A/N:** This is A/U and takes place shortly after "Arrival". See previous chapters for other notes. Also I would like to note this has been revised and part of this chapter was broken off at the advice of a beta reader. The rest you will find in the next chapter

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Metropolis University November 12th, 2005_**

Submerged within his memories of those early days, Clark Kent remained unaware of a soft knocking upon his dorm room door. Had he been fully awake, he would have easily heard the knock and after a moment been able to recognize its owner, but such was not the case. In truth Clark's small break had turned into a moment's rest, which in turn became a five minute nap; a nap that Clark failed to wake from.

Again the sound of rapping could be heard throughout his room, and again he failed to hear the soft sound. There was the slightest of pauses before muffled voices could be heard through his door. The voices clearly were in disagreement about something, however one voice seemed to silence the other, and it seemed that was the end of the knocking.

Suddenly a loud and intense banging could be heard throughout the entire hallway Clark resided in, as a fist was beaten against his door in rapid succession. The noise was not only much stronger, but also much insistent on the point of being demanding. It was this knocking or banging as Clark would call it, which startled him into alertness.

The bright lighting of his own room, as well as grogginess, disoriented Clark as his eyes snapped open. With a violent twist of his body he attempted to right himself expecting some kind of attack, the end result of his uncoordinated movement was finding himself face down on the floor, while the banging continued to call him.

Shaking his head for a second, Clark pulled himself off the ground before moving to open the door with a quick jerk. He was surprised to have a balled fist meet his chest as he stepped into the open entrance.

Lois Lane and Chloe Sullivan stood before him, backpacks and luggage at their feet.

"_Well it's about time, Smallville!"_ spoke the former woman in a sarcastic tone, before she uncurled the fist that rested on his chest and used it to push past him into the room.

"_As usual never one for pleasantries are we Lois?"_ he replied in an equally sarcastic tone. He moved to allow Chloe into the room as well, before looking down at their bags which had remained in the hallway. Debating something for a second, he reached for Chloe's things before stepping back into his room and setting them down. It didn't take Lois long to notice the small smile that spread across his face as he took a seat at his desk.

"_Good one Kent, I think you might finally be learning something."_ The words left her mouth as she stepped back outside to pull her bags inside as well. Chloe choose that short silence to interject.

"_So are you almost ready Clark?"_ her gaze surveying his room as she spoke, searching for his bags, though she could find none.

"_Sorry,"_ he returned as he stood and quickly moved about his room gathering the little he would need for weekend trip home. _"I guess I kind of dozed off a bit…"_

"_A bit?"_ Lois interrupted as she flopped down on his bed a smirk forming, _"Clarkie dear, by my count, my highly accurate count, we're already a good twenty minutes behind schedule."_

The slight wince that Clark gave was more than enough for Lois as she sighed contently, having managed to ruffle his feathers ever so slightly. Chloe could only look on, as she contemplated the interactions between Lois and Clark. Their entire relationship would, at first glance, seem as if it had been based on nothing more than exchanging sarcastic remarks and witty zingers. Chloe of course knew this was far from the truth though, for she had witnessed on more than one occasion, the undercurrents of her cousin and best friend's strange friendship. One moment the two could easily seem like they were on the verge of strangling each other, and in a split second the atmosphere could shift between the two and she would find them working together as if they were one person. Then there was the fact that for as long as the two had known each other, even when at their worst, they had known what was off limits and what was fair game. The game they played, the rules of which were unknown even to Chloe, was complicated to say the least; Complicated and highly amusing.

Finishing his packing Clark nodded to the others to indicate he was ready to go, and so after a quick moment spent gathering their things in hand, the trio made their way out of his dormitory and towards Lois's awaiting jeep. Tossing their luggage into the back, they took their seats for the ride back to Smallville.

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Smallville, Nov. 12th, 2005_**

After about two hilarious hours of bickering between Lois and Clark, the trio found themselves pulling onto Hickory Lane, better known as the Kent's driveway. Lois and Chloe exited the vehicle swiftly before dashing off towards the main house, leaving Clark to unpack. He was extremely grateful, to notice someone already beginning to unload the back of the jeep, and with a hearty smile Clark embraced his father in a hug. Lois and Chloe seemed to be doing the same thing to Mrs. Kent on the porch.

"_You're a little later than normal."_ His father noted as he pulled back from the hug to again reach for the luggage. A slight blush colored Clark's cheeks at the words.

"_That was my fault, I kind of lost track of time and ended up oversleeping."_ He stated while helping his father haul the bags inside.

"_I have no doubt Lois already gave you an earful about that didn't she?"_ Jonathon Kent chuckled as he noticed the even deeper blush that crossed Clark's face. _"It's nice to see you all the same. You know your mother has been anxious about it all week. I think sometimes she misses the three of you more than she lets on."_

As if the very mention of her was a cue, Martha Kent moved to embrace her son as he climbed the porch.

"_Don't you listen to a word he says Clark, I'm fine. I just couldn't wait to see my baby boy again."_ Her words were followed by a chuckle from Lois as she watched from behind Martha.

"_Aw, you missed mommy Clarkie? How sweet!"_ the mock awe was clearly evident as she grinned mischievously. It of course earned her a glare from Clark over Mrs. Kent's shoulder as she hugged him.

Chloe wisely interrupted as she grabbed some of the bags from Clark and Mr. Kent before handing one to Lois.

"_Come on Miss Sassy Pants, we need to get settled in and I'm hungry."_ And at the mention of food Mrs. Kent followed the girls inside, beginning to tell them dinner would be ready soon and leaving Clark and Jonathon on the porch alone. Pulling his son as he moved Jonathon took a seat on the old oak swinging bench, followed easily by Clark.

For minutes they sat in a peaceful silence, both needing no words to express themselves as the mood spoke for itself. They had done this often when Clark returned home, just sat and looked out over the farm together. Few words were ever needed anymore for them to understand each other, and so it surprised Clark when his father sliced into the comforting void of silence.

"_You still think about it don't you?"_ Jonathon's voice was a soothing melody as he spoke, and the question was in truth more of a statement; a statement Clark was caught off guard by, extremely so, though he knew what his dad meant.

"_It comes and goes; I don't think I'll ever really forget it."_ Clark's voice lowered to barely a whisper as he replied. It was clear that he was becoming lost in a day long past.

"_That's a good thing though son, things like that, no matter how much they hurt aren't meant to be forgotten."_ The sagely wisdom of Jonathon Kent was evident to Clark. _"I just hope you still aren't blaming yourself for it anymore, there was nothing you could have done."_

"_Even so, sometimes I can't help but think what if I had tried harder? Or ran faster?"_ his tone became ever so slightly filled with grief, as his memories once again replayed that fateful day over and over in his mind.

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	4. Tragedy

**Title**: Fated King

**Author**: DarienSummers

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Smallville or any of its actors. I wouldn't mind owning Erica Durance, but that's for later mauauaha.

**A/N**: This is A/U and takes place shortly after "Arrival". See previous chapters for other notes. This chapter was formerly part of Chapter 2 but seemed better as its own.

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**Chapter 3**

_**Smallville, May 2005 **_

The meteor shower had finally stopped and things had been on the verge of calming down as emergency workers scurried too and fro attempting to quell the unrest left behind in the wake of the space rock's collision with the quiet Kansas town.

Little did anyone know the greatest surprises had yet to reveal themselves, for the meteor show had actually been nothing more than a means to an end. It had provided the necessary cover for the Kryptionian vessel, housing one of Krypton's greatest achievements, to land.

The beings who emerged from the craft were ruthless in their search for the one known as Kal-El, destroying anyone or thing that got in their path, and for a time it seemed as if they had no weakness.

Only the ravings of a mad man held the secret to their destruction.

"_Home is their poison, home is their poison."_ Lionel Luthor ranted continuously while scribbling ineligible symbols on the floors of his son's office. Much to his inner dismay no one seemed to be listening to him, and so he continued attempting to spread the message. Unbeknownst to him, someone had been listening though, and knowing enough history about Smallville they had put the pieces together and devised a plan. It was a simple enough plan, the best kind of plans in her mind were the simple ones, they didn't require much and seemed to work more often than the complicated ones.

She had found them at the hospital hurting people she cared about; one in fact had been dangling for her life in the arms of the alien female. It was only when she had offered them the location of Kal-El that her friend was released from the iron grip. A dull thud followed by several wheezes was all she could hear from the other woman as the aliens drug her off to the Luther Mansion.

Leading them to the vault filled with meteor rock had at first seemed successful, what she had not counted on however was one of the beings retaining enough power to successfully enclose the meteor rocks back in the leaden vault.

Instantly their abilities had returned, and though she attempted to flee they thwarted it with the quickest of movements. For a second she was held in the vice like grip of the female alien, the life slowly being choked out of her before she was dropped onto her knees. Gasping for breath she barely had time to think before the slap came. Black spots had danced before her eyes as she collided with ground and felt her jaw break, and through her pain she could barely register the female's chuckle as she delivered a final kick to the stomach. The power behind the kick was inhuman and quickly the girl found herself careening through air into a stained glass window. She had thankfully lost consciousness before colliding with the ground two stories below.

Though she would never know it Clark, or Kal-El as the beings referred to him, had arrived in just enough time to watch her body impact with the ground in horror. Reaching the crumpled body, he pulled her into his arms, a pain greater than anything he had felt tearing at his soul as he searched for signs of life; none of which he was able to find.

It was at that moment that the others had decided to make their presence known. They had not expected to find Kal-El in such a stupor however, and had scoffed ever so slightly at the sight before them.

It was a mistake they would regret for years to come. His blows came quickly and without warning, striking the male first and sending him flying backwards. The female moved as swiftly as she could to avoid Kal's next strike, but again he was underestimated, or rather his rage was, for a searing heat struck her body issuing from the boiling rage in his eyes and slammed her into the ground with such force, that in moments, glass began to form from the gravel around her.

He was on her in a moment, fist raised skywards with every intention of bashing it into her skull. In his anger he had momentarily forgotten about his male adversary, using this lapse, the man tackled Kal before his blow could find its mark.

Pulling herself upwards out of the crater created by the impact of her body, she watched for a second as Kal-El fought diligently against her comrade. Their blows sent shockwaves through the air that shattered the windows of the nearby mansion. In that moment she made the choice to banish the son of Jor-El, and deftly activated the Phantom Zone portal with a flick of the circular bracelet around her wrist.

Again she underestimated Kal but this time it proved fatal, as she watched her partner slammed backwards to be swallowed up by the void filled portal. Had she not been so shocked by the turn of events she might have avoided the blow that sent her spiraling into her own trap; to be sealed away forever in the Phantom Zone.

Finding no one else to lash out at Clark had finally returned to the limp body of the girl he believed himself to love. It was only then that he had noticed the water that slide down his cheeks.

It was only then that he had released the blood curdling scream which reached across the globe.

**_"LANA!"_**

It was only then that he had wept, nay that he had sobbed over the death of his friend, his crush, his love.

Lana Lang was dead, and for all his power he could do nothing to make that right.

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A/N**: I know, I know some of you are going to be bothered by this, however let me make it clear this isn't some kind of Lana bashing, I simply felt that this was a necessary evil to push Clark in the direction I wanted him to go. Thanks to all my beta readers, reviewers, and readers. This is going to be the beginning of a long and twisted friendship! Oh and MAN I loved "Aqua" it was very enjoyable. 


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